Telemark University College Department of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Cybernetics

Sequential Control
Applications
Where is Sequential Control needed? In applications where the automation task must be accomplished in a certain sequence Examples: Sequential Control is used in many situations: Control applications Chemical batch processes Assembly lines Traffic lighting Car Wash

Different standards
Graphical representation: A sequential control procedure can be represented graphically by e.g. one of the following two methods: State diagram (State machine) We will use this standard in the Lab Work Sequential Function Chart (SFC) used in PLCs

Basic elements
State diagrams and SFC are quite similar, as they have the same basic elements: Steps (SFC)/States (State Diagram) Actions (executed when the state is active) Transitions (between 2 states)

Faculty of Technology, Postboks 203, Kjlnes ring 56, N-3901 Porsgrunn, Norway. Tel: +47 35 57 50 00 Fax: +47 35 57 54 01

Software
Sequential control can be implemented using graphical programming of state diagrams or SFCs in proper programming tools, e.g.: LabVIEW o State Machine We will use this technique in the Lab Work o LabVIEW Statechart Module tailor-made for these kind of applications, but a little hard to understand and use (we will not use this module in this lab) PLC software (Programmable Logic Controller) MATLAB/Simulink (Stateflow Toolbox)

State Diagram Example

Below we see an example of a simple state diagram: